


Turbulence

by yeolish



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Barebacking, Bottom Oh Sehun, Identity Porn, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Minor Violence, Secret Identity, Smut, Top Kim Jongdae | Chen, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:35:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28361790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolish/pseuds/yeolish
Summary: Sehun is a superhero. Jongdae is his supervillain arch-nemesis. They're also roommates.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Oh Sehun
Comments: 15
Kudos: 79
Collections: Calm Before The Storm FicFest Round 1





	Turbulence

**Author's Note:**

> Self-prompt for the Calm before the Storm fic-fest.

Sehun is both relieved and annoyed that the windows in his apartment are difficult to break into.

A part of him is relieved, of course. The windows are as sturdy and as burglar-proof as civilian grade windows can get. He had made sure to invest in those. He doesn’t have anything particularly worth stealing in his apartment, but it never hurts to be safe.

The superhero side of him, on the other hand, is very annoyed. All he wants is to take a hot shower, climb into bed, and sleep for fourteen hours straight. The stupid windows to his bedroom are making it impossible for him to do so.

He should be used to doing this by now. Sehun can't exactly stroll into his apartment building bleeding all over his Whirlwind costume, so he's resigned to sneaking into his own apartment via the fire escape every night after patrol.

He nearly whoops in joy when the window finally slides open. Not for the first time he wishes he had the power to walk through solid objects. That would have made things a lot easier for him.

"Shit— ah fuck, oh shit," Sehun curses, ungracefully stumbling his way inside. He trips over a pile of clothes he left on the floor, nearly twisting his ankle before finding his footing.

The strong and mighty Whirlwind, incapacitated by his own laundry. The tabloids would have a field day.

He quickly shuts the window and curtains behind him. His room is pitch black, and most of the city's inhabitants are asleep, but he still can't risk anyone seeing him. The last thing he needs is to get caught on camera. Nameless thieves breaking into homes didn't make the news, but footage of famous superhero Whirlwind breaking into homes certainly would.

Sehun switches on the lights, just in case his clumsy ass trips over something again. He really needs to clean his room.

He yanks his goggles off his face with a grimace. He's covered in sweat and grime, and the way the spandex material of his suit clings to him is uncomfortable.

His fight with Chen earlier had left him exhausted. It was hard enough trying to use his own powers without causing collateral damage, but making sure Chen's lightning bolts didn't send buildings tumbling down was even harder.

He's in the middle of peeling his suit off of him when he hears the front door rattling open. Fuck. Either someone is trying to break in through the front door, or his roommate is home. 

“Goddamnit,” Sehun curses to himself, pulling his boots off and tossing them into his open closet. He wouldn't have saved that cat from that tree if he had known his roommate would be home this early.

How is he even home already? Sehun tried to get home as quick as he could but the other man always managed to get home before him.

The footsteps get louder, and Sehun panics. He hates himself for choosing a hero costume that is so insanely tedious to remove. It certainly didn't help him keep his identity a secret.

"Sehun?" His roommate calls from outside his bedroom, knocking on the door Sehun is pretty sure he didn't lock. "You okay in there?"

"I'm fine," Sehun replies, grimacing as he pulls off one of his arm guards. Yikes. He hopes he isn't bruising too badly underneath his suit.

"Can I come in?"

Sehun's blood runs cold. One look at the mirror on his wall shows that there are new bruises blooming on the side of his face and that his hair is still matted with dirt and sweat. He clearly looks like he had been in a fight— one that he didn't win.

His roommate can't see him like this.

“Uhhh, hold on,” Sehun answers. He manages to tear his suit off of him, crumpling it into a ball before tossing it underneath his bed.

If he had known that keeping his identity a secret would be this difficult, then he would have opted to suck it up and stay in an extremely shitty apartment by himself instead of a less-shitty-but-still-kind-of-disgusting apartment with another person. But then again, rent in the city is _expensive_ , and Sehun’s natural hermit tendencies would probably make him go insane without anyone to keep him company.

Sehun hurls the last of his gear into the hamper in the corner of the room. It hits the wall with a loud _smack_ before falling into the hamper where his civilian clothes are. Fuck. How is he supposed to explain that noise?

“Sehun?” the voice on the other side of the door sounds worried. “You okay in there?”

“I'm fine!” Sehun squeaks, using his palms to rub as much dirt and grime off his face as he can. He still looks like a mess but he can at least try not to look like a car accident victim.

“You don't sound fine,” the other man accuses. “I'm coming in, okay?”

They only have one bathroom in their apartment and it's outside Sehun’s bedroom, so really, he has no other place to hide other than under his blankets, leaving only the top half of his face exposed.

His door swings open and in comes his roommate Jongdae, hair still damp from the shower and looking adorably cozy in his white hoodie and gray sweatpants. He's even wearing the Pikachu socks Sehun got him for his birthday.

“Sehunnie?” Jongdae still sounds worried even as he spots Sehun on his bed. “What are you doing?”

Sehun gulps from where he's laying on the mattress. He has the covers pulled up all the way to his chin in an effort to cover the new scars and bruises. His heart beats rapidly in his chest as Jongdae starts walking closer. He hopes he didn't leave any parts of his Whirlwind costume out in the open.

“Just… resting,” Sehun says lamely, wincing when he sees Jongdae frown. Yeah, he was never really the best liar.

“Are you sure?” Jongdae asks, taking a seat on the space beside Sehun, making the younger wrap the covers tighter around himself. “You sounded like you were in a hurry there.”

“Oh, I was just cold,” Sehun answers, maybe a little too quickly because Jongdae is raising an eyebrow at him— the way he does when he knows what he's hearing is utter bullshit. Shit. “Uhhhh… the heating in the apartment sucks.”

“It does. I told the landlord about it but he isn’t doing anything about it,” Jongdae hums. He surveys Sehun's appearance, at least what he can see of it. Sehun's pulse quickens when Jongdae’s frown deepens. “Are you sure you're okay? You look really pale.”

“I’m fine,” Sehun says, even though he feels like he has a concussion. “Don’t worry about me.”

It is times like these where Sehun feels especially bad about not telling Jongdae the truth. Things would be so much easier if Sehun simply told Jongdae that he was actually the superhero Whirlwind, but he can’t do that. Telling Jongdae might make things seem easier, but would only put him in danger. If worse comes to worst and someone decides to use Jongdae as leverage against Whirlwind, then at least Jongdae wouldn’t actually know anything. Sehun has heard enough horror stories about civilian friends and family getting kidnapped and being used as hostages because they were connected to a hero.

It chills Sehun to think about it. The thought of one of those villains kidnapping Jongdae makes his skin crawl. He doesn’t even want to think about Jongdae being in danger, but he knows he’ll do whatever he can to keep him safe.

“I’ll always worry about you,” Jongdae says, looking at Sehun with such genuine care and affection, Sehun kind of wants to cry. He doesn’t deserve to have such a nice roommate— Jongdae is too nice for this world.

“You don’t have to,” Sehun replies. “I swear I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” Jongdae sighs, sounding very unconvinced. He gets up from Sehun’s bed, his eyes not leaving Sehun’s form as he does so. “Your room is a mess, by the way.”

Sehun cringes. If his room didn’t look like such a disaster, then Jongdae would have probably spotted bits of his superhero costume just laying about. It’s a good thing Sehun isn’t bleeding— blood stains are a bitch to remove from clothes and sheets. “I’ll clean it up.”

“And I think you need a shower too,” Jongdae says, getting up from Sehun’s bed. “Did you bring a guy here earlier? Is he just hiding under the bed or something?”

“What? No, of course not,” Sehun protests, turning beet red at the implication. He’s embarrassed that Jongdae thinks he would do the nasty and not clean up afterwards, but that’s probably a better explanation as to why Sehun is half-naked and hiding under the covers.

“I'll leave you to it then,” Jongdae remarks, and he’s friggin’ _winking_ at Sehun as he leaves, like he knows something that Sehun doesn’t.

“Uhh, thanks?” Sehun says in confusion. He waits for Jongdae to leave the room and shut the door before sitting up and sighing to himself.

That was a close one. If he had moved even a second later Jongdae would have definitely walked in on him still dressed in his Whirlwind costume. He needs to be more careful.

Sehun doesn’t want to keep hiding such a huge secret from Jongdae— sweet and caring Jongdae who always asks if Sehun is okay and makes their meals for them because Sehun can’t cook for shit. He’s the closest person Sehun has to a best friend right now; Sehun has to keep him safe no matter what.

But he also knows that Jongdae doesn't deserve to be lied to.

Fuck.

💨

It's another bank robbery.

Sehun hates bank robberies more than anything; not because he has a lot of money in his own bank account that needs protecting, but because bank robberies usually involve hostages. Not only does he have to think about dodging whatever projectiles are being shot at him, he also has to make sure that nobody else is hurt in the process.

Sehun especially hates bank robberies when the person responsible for them is Chen, a villain that could control lightning and is what the media calls Whirlwind’s “super-villain arch-nemesis”. The villain was difficult to win in a fight against, and he was very annoying, often talking to Sehun like they were old college buddies rather than enemies.

“Hey, Whirlwind,” Chen greets, lightning crackling at his fingertips. He’s dressed in his usual costume: a dark red suit lined with black details, and a metal mask covering most of his face. His hair is dark and slicked back, and he even sports chains and rings on the body parts Sehun can see. In short, he looks like an asshole. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Sehun narrows his eyes at the sacks of cash stacked behind Chen, because of course he went with the old fashioned way of stealing money. “You know that money doesn’t belong to you.”

Chen snorts. “Duh. That’s exactly why I’m stealing it,” he says like it’s obvious. “I don’t get why you’re so worried, Whirlwind. Most of the people who go to this bank are loaded anyway.” He gestures his head at the customers in the corner, all cowering at the sight of the infamous supervillain.

Chen had been terrorizing the city even before Sehun had decided to don a costume and become Whirlwind. The man is a menace, often stealing from banks and terrorizing large corporations with the help of his lightning powers. As far as Sehun knows, Chen doesn’t actually kill people, but he can never be too sure. Either way, he is still a villain and needs to be put in jail.

“The police have you surrounded outside, Chen,” Sehun says, readying his hands with spheres of wind just in case Chen decides to make a surprise attack. “Surrender while you can.”

Chen laughs, a high and mocking sound, made even more annoying by the built-in voice modulator of his mask. “Wow Whirlwind, you say the same thing every single time, and you never manage to catch me.”

It isn’t exactly a lie. Of all the villains Sehun has faced, no one could compare to Chen’s dexterity. The man has robbed millions of won from banks and high-end stores and both the police and Sehun could never figure out where the money goes. The few times Sehun had been able to apprehend Chen don’t even seem like an achievement, for it seemed like the man was purposefully letting himself get caught by Sehun before eventually making his escape. It’s as if he's playing with Sehun, like this is all just a game to him. It’s annoying, and frankly very confusing.

Sehun grits his teeth. “Just how many more banks do you need to rob, Chen?”

“As many as it takes for you to give up, pretty boy,” Chen quips, his tone smug and haughty. He raises a hand, electricity sparkling from his fingertips. “You _do_ know you can’t beat me in a fight, right?”

Sehun _can,_ but he can’t put civilians in danger, especially not when they’re in a closed space like this. Sometimes he wishes he had teleportation powers like the superhero Kai instead of an elemental one— those would certainly be more useful in rescuing hostages and cats from tall trees.

From Sehun’s peripheral vision, he can see the civilians curling themselves into the corner, trying to shield themselves away from the destruction. “Let the hostages go, Chen,” Sehun says in a steady voice.

“And why should I do that?” Chen asks, inching closer towards Sehun as lightning cracks along his arms. It would have looked intimidating if Sehun hadn’t faced Chen dozens of times before.

“Because I’m going to kick your ass,” Sehun says, and not a second later he’s hurling a gust of wind towards Chen.

The wind makes Chen stumble, sending him backwards on his feet, but he’s quick to recover. He sends a streak of lightning at Sehun, which he easily dodges, letting the lightning hit a nearby table that would no doubt be unusable by the end of this.

Chen sends another hit at him, and Sehun dodges it again, sidestepping out of the way and using the movement to get closer to Chen. He narrowly avoids being electrocuted when the villain raises a hand to strike lighting at him again.

“You’re very good at moving, Whirlwind,” Chen remarks. “Tell me, are you a dancer? Or are you just naturally flexible?”

Sehun groans internally. He wants to get this over with rather than listen to more of Chen’s taunts. He throws another gust of wind in Chen’s direction, which the man narrowly evades.

Their fight goes the same as it usually does. It’s a back and forth of one of them throwing and the other one dodging until one of them gets lucky enough to land a hit.

Chen is good. His attacks are quick yet precise, Sehun has seen the damage his lightning brings, and yet he’s never once been actually struck by it in the many times they’ve fought. There have been a few close calls, but Sehun has always been fast enough to dodge at the very last second.

“Is that the best you can do?” Chen mocks when Sehun nearly trips. “Tired already, Whirlwind?”

“You wish,” Sehun says, blasting wind towards Chen’s feet. The attack goes as well as he thought it would, making Chen fall to the floor with a thud.

Eager to take advantage of this, Sehun hovers over Chen, locking his hips down with his legs and holding his wrists down to the ground to make sure he doesn’t slip away. He knows better than to leave the police to handle Chen— they’ve let him get away too many times.

“It’s over, Chen,” Sehun says, panting heavily as he stares down at the man’s masked face. From here, he can see the edge of Chen’s jawline, and the droplets of sweat dripping down from his face to his neck. “I’m taking you to jail.”

“At least take me on a date first,” Chen remarks, sounding unbothered by the situation he’s in. “But by all means, straddle me whenever you want.”

Belatedly, Sehun realizes how close he and Chen are against each other— he’s practically sitting on the man’s lap. Chen’s hips are dangerously close to his own, and the tightness of both their costumes isn’t helping either. “You’re really in no position to be making jokes right now.”

Chen shifts, his hips faintly brushing against Sehun’s own through their suits. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind our current position, Whirlwind.”

Sehun narrows his eyes at him, tightening his hold on Chen’s wrists. “Here’s what’s going to happen: you’re going to return the money you stole and then I’m taking you to the cops, who you will stay with until they take you to prison and then court to answer for all your crimes.”

“Hmmm, I don’t think so,” Chen hums. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m gonna have to pass.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Sehun replies. “We have you surrounded, Chen. There’s no escape.”

Chen snickers. “Are you sure about that?”

Before Sehun can open his mouth to respond to that, Chen suddenly raises his legs. He locks his ankles around Sehun’s torso, using his lower body strength to flip their positions, making it so that he’s the one pinning Sehun down.

Sehun is momentarily stunned, unprepared for the sudden attack, and Chen takes advantage of this, twisting both of Sehun’s arms behind his back and holding them with his surprisingly strong grip.

“Don’t even try to get out of it,” Chen says into Sehun’s ear, and his voice is no longer playful or teasing. It’s actually kind of creepy. “You'll only hurt yourself if you try to get away.”

A chill runs down Sehun's spine. While Chen has never actually seriously hurt him before, he isn't about to risk it. Sehun needs his hands to control the air around him; there's no way he can escape Chen’s hold without either hurting himself or the civilians nearby. He's stuck.

Chen seems to realize this too, and Sehun can practically _feel_ the man smirking underneath his stupid mask. “Good boy.”

“Shut up,” Sehun says through gritted teeth. He can't help but groan when all the lights in the bank shut off, no doubt because of Chen’s ability to control electricity too. Great. Why did his nemesis have to have so many cool powers?

“I'll catch you next time, Whirlwind,” Chen snickers, loosening his grip on the hero. Sehun doesn't move from his spot on the floor immediately— any sudden actions could make Chen shoot at him, or worse, one of the civilians.

Sehun waits until he knows Chen has backed off before he moves. In the darkness, he can hear panicking mothers, sobbing old ladies, and angry voices demanding where their money is; Sehun rushes over to them to make sure no one is hurt. No matter what, the safety of the civilians always mattered more than capturing the supervillain.

When the lights come back on, both Chen and the money are gone.

💨

Sehun is frowning even as he arrives home. After checking over the civilians and talking to the police officers at the bank, he had set out to search for Chen. He had checked every loading dock, every abandoned warehouse, and every shady alleyway looking for a sign of Chen, but he had no such luck. Chen was just that good.

Exhausted, Sehun opens the front door to his and Jongdae’s apartment. He’s dressed in a shirt and some basketball shorts, Whirlwind costume safely tucked into his duffel bag; anyone who sees him would just assume that he had come from the gym and not a bank robbery.

He can't wait to eat some dinner and go to bed. Maybe he'll have better luck finding Chen tomorrow after a good night’s rest.

“Bad day?” Jongdae asks when he sees Sehun. He's seated on the couch, a bag of potato chips in his lap as he flickers through the channels on their TV.

“You can say that,” Sehun sighs. He drops his bag by the side of the couch, making a mental note to himself to pick it up and hide it in his closet later, before plopping down next to Jongdae. “Really tiring day at work,” he says, and it technically isn't a lie.

“What happened?” Jongdae asks, offering the bag of chips to Sehun, who gratefully takes a handful of the salty chips. He really shouldn't be eating junk food, but he's tired and he's hungry and crispy potato chips is the least he deserves after protecting the city every night.

“Some asshole kept making things hard for everyone,” Sehun explains, purposely leaving things vague. It's not that he doesn't trust Jongdae— in fact, he trusts him more than anyone, but being paranoid comes with being a superhero. What if some random supervillain managed to not only figure out Sehun's secret identity but also bug the apartment with tiny hidden cameras? Sehun would be ruined. “I have to settle things with him tomorrow.”

“Awww, I'm sure you worked hard,” Jongdae says, humming as Sehun grabs another handful of chips. “Wait, have you eaten?”

Sehun sends him a sheepish look. “I'm eating now,” he says around a mouthful of chips. He had forgotten to eat in his haste to go home after finding nothing on Chen.

Jongdae frowns at that. “I meant actual dinner, Sehunnie. Oh god, when was the last time you ate something that didn't come out of a vending machine?”

“Ummmmm…”

“We’re ordering proper food. Now,” Jongdae says, and his tone doesn't leave any room for argument. “Salads, meat, rice, and fruit juice. You need it.”

“What? No, it's okay, I can just eat this,” Sehun says, holding up the bag of chips. As much as he likes food, he and Jongdae don’t have a lot of money to spare. Ordering delivery food when they have perfectly fine cholesterol-filled convenience store food here at home would be a waste of money.

Jongdae shakes his head. “Don't worry about it,” he assures. “You've had a long day. Buying some dinner is the least I can do to my favorite roommate.”

“I'm your only roommate.”

“My favorite dongsaeng then,” Jongdae smiles, pulling out his phone and opening the delivery app to show that he means business. “Come on, what restaurant should we order from? Hyung will pay for everything— oh and don't pick a cheap restaurant either, pick a nice and expensive one.”

“You're so generous today,” Sehun remarks with a quirked eyebrow. “Did you get a raise?”

“I pulled some strings and got some money,” Jongdae replies with a smile. “Oh yeah, and when the food arrives we're watching _Goblin_ until we cry. You can't say no.” 

Sehun laughs at that. “Wasn’t planning to.” It's amazing how Jongdae can lift his mood just like that. Sehun is so happy and thankful to have him in his life.

  
  


💨

The worst part of secretly being a superhero is that Sehun has to pretend like he isn't hurt even when he is.

He can't count the number of times he's nearly slipped up and revealed himself: walking with a limp in his step because of a swollen ankle or coming home with bruises he can't explain. It's exhausting, both physically and mentally. Not only is he getting injured from stopping robberies and preventing buildings from toppling down, he can't even complain about said injuries to anyone.

Oh yeah, and hiding them from Jongdae when they live in a 550 square foot apartment is even worse. Jongdae can be very observant when he wants to be. Sehun considers himself lucky to escape his hawk-like eyes.

So of course, Jongdae is quick to notice the particularly nasty black eye Sehun tries to hide with three layers of concealer. He had gotten it from his most recent fight Pyro, a fire-based supervillain who was just as annoying as Chen.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Jongdae questions when he catches sight of Sehun walking into the living room. He rushes over to where Sehun is standing to get a closer look. “What happened to you?”

“I fell,” Sehun answers, because it's close enough to the truth for him not to feel guilty about it. He _did_ fall to the ground after Pyro punched him in the face.

“Did you fall on someone's fist?” Jongdae reaches up to cup Sehun's cheeks with his warm hands. He thumbs at the sensitive spot below Sehun's eye, inspecting it with a frown. “This is the third time this month you've gotten hurt, Sehunnie.”

Sehun gulps. “You know I'm a klutz.”

Jongdae's frown deepens. He doesn't let go of Sehun's face. “Is there something you need to tell me, Sehunnie?”

And there it is– the deep eyes, the soft voice, the gentle words. Jongdae probably already suspects something is up— how can he not when Sehun uses their first aid kit every other day? Or when he wears turtlenecks and jeans even during summer time to cover his injuries? 

“I— there's nothing,” Sehun says, belatedly noticing how close Jongdae’s lips are to his own. He hopes that the other man can't hear how fast his heart is beating. “I really just fall over and trip a lot, Dae.”

“Are you sure?” Jongdae presses, his warm brown eyes trailing over the expanse of Sehun's face as if he's searching for another hidden injury. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Yeah, I know I can,” Sehun replies, feeling bile rise to his throat.

Jongdae drops his hands from Sehun's cheeks. “So why don't you tell me what's up?”

This is it. This is Sehun's chance to tell Jongdae the truth about why he comes home so late with new scars and bruises every night— he can finally explain why he's always so tired in the morning, or why he has to ditch Jongdae in the middle of their hangouts when superhero duty calls. This is his chance to tell the truth.

But Sehun doesn't do that. He does what he resorts to when he's panicking and doesn't know what else to do: stay silent and pretend everything is okay. 

“It's fine, Jongdae, I swear,” Sehun says, and he doesn't sound convincing even to his own ears.

Jongdae sighs, placing his hands on his hips. “Would you at least let me help you patch up?”

Sehun nods. He’s convinced that Jongdae is an angel.

💨

One would think that having superpowers and being the city's protector would make Sehun have a higher threshold for pain.

He technically does. He could take more punches and kicks than an average human being, often powering through the pain of a sprained ankle to save a civilian from getting crushed under heavy debris, but Sehun isn't invincible. 

Which brings him to where he is now: sitting on one of their kitchen barstools and letting his roommate tend to his bruised knuckles.

"Ow shit, oh my god— fuck, that stings," Sehun swears, wincing as Jongdae presses a soaked cotton ball onto his skin.

"Does it hurt that bad?”

Sehun hisses as the cotton ball makes contact with his bruised skin once more. "Yes it does!"

Jongdae shakes his head. “You are such a baby sometimes.”

“I’m not a baby,” Sehun argues, pouting very much like a baby. “It just hurts.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t get yourself into dangerous situations then,” Jongdae says pointedly.

Sehun grumbles something incoherent under his breath. If only Jongdae knew that he had a second job that centered around getting himself into dangerous situations.

“How did you even get hurt?” Jongdae asks, placing a band-aid onto the bruised skin. Sehun rolls his eyes when he sees the little lightning bolt pattern over the purple band-aid. Anything related to electricity and lightning reminds him of Chen. “Did you get into a bar fight?”

“It was something like a bar fight,” Sehun mutters. There was probably a bar near the place he fought Pyro in before hauling him to jail.

Jongdae looks up at him, expression suddenly serious. Sehun gulps upon seeing it. As cute and tiny Jongdae is, there has always been a sense of power to him— like a strong force lurking underneath the surface. Sehun can’t pin what it is exactly, but it’s there.

“You need to start taking care of yourself more, Sehunnie,” Jongdae says, his eyebrows knitting together on his forehead. “I know you think it’s important to help out other people, but you should help yourself first.”

Sehun swallows nervously. Does Jongdae know something? Has he figured out that Sehun is Whirlwind? “W-What do you mean?”

Jongdae sighs. “Sehunnie, you help old ladies cross the street even when they’re mean and call you names, you break up fights at the bar, you give stray dogs your lunch because you feel bad for them, you don’t yell at the dumb teenagers who catcall you because you don’t want to embarrass them— you’re practically a saint.”

Sehun blinks. “I just want to do the right thing,” he says. “And you do things like that too! You volunteer at homeless shelters and orphanages all the time.” Jongdae is probably the kindest person Sehun has ever met in his life— he’s just as much of a hero as Sehun is, maybe even more.

“That’s different, Sehunnie,” Jongdae replies with a shake of his head. “The homeless people, the orphans— they’re people who deserve to be helped. They didn’t do anything wrong, they’re just unlucky enough to be put in bad circumstances. You help people even when they don’t deserve it.”

Being a superhero has made Sehun reflect on questions like these. Should he be helping everyone? Is someone’s life worth more just because they're nicer to other people? What about the people who did bad things because it was the only way to survive? “Are you saying that we should only help people when they’re nice to us?”

“People get what they deserve,” Jongdae says flatly. “You shouldn’t be wasting your time being nice to jerks and losers that’ll only take advantage of your kindness.”

Sehun frowns at that. He’s never heard Jongdae speak that way and he doesn’t know what to make of it. “You don’t know if they’re actually jerks and losers all the time. If they yelled at me or something, they could just be having a bad day.”

“Trust me, Sehunnie, I know bad people when I see them,” Jongdae says, gently running his fingertips along Sehun’s knuckles. “I get that you want to do good things, I really do, but you should take care of yourself too.”

Something about this conversation sounds off, like there’s a hidden meaning to it that Sehun can’t figure out. If Jongdae _did_ know about his secret identity, why isn’t he saying anything? If he knows something, why talk all cryptically instead of directly bringing it up? 

Sehun doesn’t get to ponder about it for much longer though, because Jongdae is pressing yet another disinfectant-soaked cotton ball onto Sehun’s sensitive skin.

“Ouch— what the _fuck_ , Dae?!?”

“That’s what you get for always sneaking out and getting hurt.”

💨

Superhero identity crisis aside, being roommates with Jongdae is actually not that bad, it’s great even. Six months ago, Sehun had been pleasantly surprised to find out that the man he would be sharing an apartment with wasn’t an old creep, but a handsome guy with the most gorgeous cheekbones and the cutest smile.

Spending time with Jongdae is fun too. They do everything from watching shitty reality shows on their couch to having late-night conversations in Jongdae’s bedroom in complete darkness when they forget to pay their electricity bill. Jongdae is wonderful— Sehun can’t believe how lucky he is to have him in his life.

Which brings them to where they are now: seated on the rooftop of their apartment building with their feet dangling from the edge while eating instant noodles. They’re not allowed to be up there, but Jongdae wasn’t kidding when he said that the view from the rooftop is phenomenal. Sehun of all people should know better than to break any sort of rules, but if anyone can convince Sehun to be a little rebellious it’s Kim Jongdae.

“Y’know,” Jongdae starts, his mouth full of noodles. “I didn’t always want to move to the city.”

“You didn’t?” Sehun asks, turning his eyes to the view of the city in front of them. It’s as beautiful as always, tall shimmering buildings against a black seemingly endless backdrop, the streets filled with cars and people of all ages and backgrounds. It isn’t perfect, but Sehun wouldn't live anywhere else in the world— which is why he’s so determined to protect it from dangerous super-powered criminals determined to destroy it.

“I didn’t know what to do with my life before I moved here,” Jongdae says after swallowing the food in his mouth. He swings his feet back and forth on the ledge, looking small and adorable as he does so. “I just found a place to live, got a job, then I went with the flow.”

“And then you met me two years later?”

“And then I met you two years later,” Jongdae replies, smiling. “The prettiest roommate I’ve ever had.”

“I’m the only roommate you’ve ever had.”

“Because you’re the only one who can tolerate my loud singing at four in the morning,” Jongdae quips. “And I’m the only one that won’t go crazy by your weird schedule and insomniac tendencies— which you should get checked, by the way.”

“Says the other insomniac.” It’s the time in the morning where the only people awake are either criminals lurking in the shadows or the superheroes on the lookout for crime. “Doctors are expensive though. We can’t afford that.”

Jongdae hums at that. “Maybe you should get a different job.”

“Maybe,” Sehun says. Between his job at the supermarket and Jongdae’s job as an electrician, the two of them make just enough to pay for rent and food every month. “What can I do though?”

“You can always be a model,” Jongdae suggests. “Don’t those talent scouts still chase after you?”

Being a model would definitely pay better than his current job, but he’s way too old and his body is way too scarred for people to not raise any questions. Plus, he can’t protect the city if he has to travel all the time for photoshoots and runways. “I don’t think I’m the modelling type,” Sehun snorts.

“Why? You’re more than good-looking enough,” Jongdae says. “And you wouldn’t have to live in this dump with me anymore.”

“Maybe I like living in this dump with you,” Sehun replies. He tries not to make a big deal out of Jongdae calling him good-looking. Friends compliment each other all the time, don’t they? “And I’m fine with the way things are now.”

“Really?” Jongdae asks. “You don’t have any plans to move out? Get a boyfriend and start a family?”

Sehun blinks. “I haven’t really thought about that, to be honest.” Being a superhero doesn’t leave a lot of room for planning about the future, not when Sehun is too busy trying not to get burned to a crisp by supervillains like Pyro and Chen. “What about you?”

Jongdae shrugs. “I dunno. I haven’t thought about it either,” he says. “Maybe one day I’ll win the lottery and move to Hollywood and live in a mansion with a bunch of supermodels.”

Sehun snickers, toying with the chopsticks he had been using to eat. “Am I one of the supermodels in question?”

“If you want to be. You'd definitely be my favorite,” Jongdae says, finishing the last of his instant noodles and setting the cup beside him. “In all seriousness though, I have a general idea of what I want to do in the future— it's just a matter of working towards it.”

Sehun nods in understanding. The thing he wants the most is to make the city safe for everyone who lives in it. If using his ability to control wind and putting on a costume helps him achieve that goal, then he's going to continue doing it for as long as he can.

“I'm glad you're doing what you like,” Sehun says.

Jongdae gazes at the expanse of the city in front of them. “I think I always just wanted to do something bigger than myself— like live for a cause and help people who need it the most in whatever way I can,” he continues. “You know the feeling, right?”

Sehun nods. He knows it better than anyone. “Yeah, I do.”

Jongdae smiles, and his eyes smile too, sparkling under the city lights and making Sehun's heart flip in his chest. He's beautiful, both inside and outside.

Sehun likes him, he's probably liked him for a long time now.

Which is why he can't stop himself from grabbing Jongdae’s face and pulling him into a long-awaited kiss.

Jongdae gasps in surprise, but he doesn't push Sehun away; instead he parts his lips to grant Sehun more access to his mouth. His mouth tastes like instant noodles and Coca-Cola but Sehun doesn't care, not when Jongdae’s hands reach up to tangle themselves in Sehun's hair.

Shutting his eyes, Sehun deepens the kiss. He pulls his legs close and shifts around so that he's straddling Jongdae’s lap, knees placed on either sides of Jongdae’s thighs.

Jongdae lets out a groan against Sehun's lips, sliding his hands down from Sehun's hair to his shoulders, and then his waist, and then his hips— groping and stroking at whatever he can get his hands on. It's hot and it's sexy and it's everything Sehun has wanted for such a long time.

Jongdae deepens the kiss, his tongue swirling around Sehun’s mouth like it’s determined to explore every crevice. He kisses so well, licking and nipping at Sehun’s lips like he was made to do it.

For a moment, Sehun forgets about everything— all the lying and the confusion and the anxiety. He’s too entranced by Jongdae moving his mouth against his own and the hands travelling over his body. It’s perfect.

“S-Sehunnie.” Jongdae’s voice snaps him out of the trance he’s in, and realization hits Sehun like a ton of bricks.

Kissing Jongdae is nice, it’s more than nice even, but what happens next? Is this just going to be a one-time thing, or will things develop into something more? What if they start dating? What if they get together and Sehun still can't bring himself to tell Jongdae the truth because he's too scared of how Jongdae will react?

He can't do this. This is a mistake— a very big mistake.

Almost like he's on fire, Sehun quickly scrambles off of Jongdae’s lap, nearly losing his balance and falling over while doing so. He stares at Jongdae with wide eyes, his heart plummeting to the bottom of his stomach.

“What’s wrong?” Jongdae questions, looking over at Sehun in confusion.

“I can't do this,” Sehun breathes out, panic rushing through his veins when he sees the hurt in Jongdae's eyes. Oh no, Jongdae is going to think that he's the one who messed up when really, the person at fault here is Sehun— who shouldn't have kissed him in the first place.

“Did I do something?” Jongdae asks in concern, frowning as Sehun gets on his feet and inches away from him. “Did I go too far?”

Sehun quickly shakes his head. “No no no, it's not you, it's me,” he says, before quickly realizing how stupid that sounds. “I swear, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just… I can't do this with you.”

“Why not?” Jongdae questions, moving to a standing position as well. “You like me, don't you?”

“Of course I do,” Sehun says quickly. He doesn't want Jongdae to think he doesn't feel anything for him when he really does. What he feels for Jongdae is different from anything he has felt for anyone before. “It's just… complicated. I want to tell you the truth, but I just can’t.”

Telling Jongdae about his secret identity could ruin everything. What if he gets angry with Sehun for not telling him sooner? What if he gets scared? What if he decides that he doesn’t want anything to do with Sehun anymore? What if he decides to move out?

All these questions and so many more weigh down on Sehun’s heart.

“Why don’t you just tell me?” Jongdae asks. “Whatever it is, I’ll understand… I probably already know about it.”

Sehun highly doubts that. Jongdae is smart and creative, but he would be crazy to think that Sehun is secretly a superhero given that it really is an absurd idea. Who in their right mind would think that their roommate is actually a crime-fighter with superpowers?

“I'm sorry, I just can't,” Sehun mutters, looking down at his feet in shame, feeling the weight of Jongdae’s eyes on him. “I should go.”

“Sehunnie, wait—” Jongdae says, reaching out to stop Sehun, but the younger man isn’t having it.

“—Jongdae, please don’t,” Sehun interrupts. The longer he stays here with Jongdae the guiltier and worse he feels about what he’s been doing for months. The lying, the deception, the secrets— they all lay heavily on Sehun’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” Sehun says again, because he doesn't know what else to say. He turns on his heel and runs away, as far as his feet can carry him without using his powers. 

He his best not to think about the disappointed look on Jongdae's face.

💨

Jongdae is not in the apartment when Sehun wakes up the next morning. It’s a little weird, but Sehun has long grown used to Jongdae being out during the most random times of the day. Besides, Sehun wouldn't want to see himself too after the… incident that happened between them last night.

Memories of the kiss make Sehun's chest feel heavy. He doesn't know whether he should apologize or not. Okay yeah, maybe he should, but what is he supposed to say? _Hey, Jongdae. I'm sorry for making out with you and bringing your hopes up before making you feel bad. By the way, I'm a superhero, and I've been hiding this from you for months. Anyway, what do you want for dinner later?_

Sehun sighs at the thought. Just when did his life turn into a dramatic television show? Is it the day he had decided to put on a costume and fight supervillains? Or is this just the downside of being born with superpowers?

Mind feeling cloudy, Sehun switches on the television. Maybe he could do what he and Jongdae usually do to de-stress: watch dramas until his eyes get sore from crying.

Instead of being greeted with Lee Dongwook’s handsome face, however, Sehun is greeted with a breaking news report.

“Right now we are following breaking news in Myeongdong, Seoul where the supervillain known as Chen is using his powers to—”

Sehun doesn’t even wait for the reporter to finish their sentence before storming into his closet, throwing on his costume as fast as he can with it breaking anything. With no time to waste, he bolts out of the apartment through his bedroom window. His Jongdae problems can wait; he has to go and save the city.

💨

Dark storm clouds hover over the sky as Chen stands in the middle of the street, lightning crackling from his fingertips as he stands in front of the row of stores, holding up his newly-gotten loot.

Myeongdong is a hotspot for criminals and supervillains everywhere. Not only is the area filled with unsuspecting people to rob, the high-end stores with expensive items on display are just begging to be stolen.

Chen is like a magpie in that he can't keep away from pretty shiny things, so Sehun is not even surprised that the other man has taken to destroying jewelry stores and designer boutiques to raid them for expensive items.

The villain is in the middle of breaking a tall glass window when Sehun comes upon him. The police force has long learned not to interfere with fights between superheroes and supervillains, so they focus on controlling the onlooking crowd and setting barriers between them and where the danger is.

“It’s Whirlwind!” a girl exclaims when she sees Sehun, like he’s friggin’ Superman or something. Sehun pays her no mind; he uses his powers to propel him forward quicker— the thing he does that makes people think he can actually fly.

“Chen!” Sehun bellows, his hands curling into fists as he gets into a defensive position. Could Chen have picked a worse day to cause havoc in the city? Sehun couldn’t even mope about his personal problems without a supervillain ruining his plans.

“Hello Whirlwind,” Chen greets. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“I can’t say the same thing about you,” Sehun retorts, watching with focused eyes as Chen drops the bag of items to the ground. Lightning travels from his fingertips to his arms as he steps closer to Sehun.

Sehun and Chen circle around each other, neither of them daring to make the first move. Sehun’s wind attacks are effective in incapacitating an enemy from a long distance, but he's limited in a space full of civilians and other obstacles like this.

He's glad he isn't facing Pyro or D.O the Destroyer, who are way more violent and destructive than Chen. Villains like them don't even hesitate to hurt Sehun, the particularly crazy ones even wanting to kill him— but never Chen. Chen’s attacks were always calculated and precise, never landing close enough to cause serious harm to Sehun.

"I didn't think you'd be here today, Whirlwind," Chen comments, eyeing Sehun up and down behind his mask.

“I'll always be there to stop you,” Sehun replies, maneuvering around a pothole in the middle of the road.

Chen moves forward quickly, obviously hoping to catch him by surprise, but Sehun is able to dodge away from the punch. 

“Did I hear that right? You'll always be there for me?” Chen asks, skillfully evading the sharp wind Sehun throws at him. The onlookers behind them gasp and scream whenever some lightning or wind gets too close, but they're too focused on recording the action on their phones instead of getting away.

Whenever Sehun and Chen are on the battlefield, the air around them is thick, charged with energy and tension as the two of them attack each other.

Today, though, there is something different about it— like there’s a whole other layer of emotion or complexity to it, and Sehun doesn't even know where it's coming from.

Sehun doesn’t get to think about it for much longer though, because Chen is launching into the offensive, hauling a thunderbolt straight at Sehun before following it up with an uppercut that the hero nearly fails to deflect.

“Tired already, Whirlwind?”

“You wish,” Sehun says. He’s just getting into the rhythm of the fight, and he isn't about to back down anytime soon.

Playing on Chen thinking that he’s off his game today, Sehun purposefully moves his hands in a wild swish that left his chest exposed, fully expecting Chen to move at once to take advantage of his vulnerability.

It works. Chen charges forward, and Sehun immediately deflects the hit and turns to the side, forcing Chen to stumble several steps before regaining his balance. “Oooohh, I take it back. You’re feisty today.”

Sehun ignores him. He lunges at him again, this time putting Chen on the defensive. The villain is forced to give ground under the force of the wind Sehun pushes at him. Chen might be quick, but he can’t evade wind itself— and Sehun uses this to his advantage.

Chen's left foot skids as he stumbles, lightning crackling around him as he fights to keep his balance. Sehun moves in closer, realising a little too late that Chen had just been faking his clumsiness. With Sehun closer, Chen reaches a hand out to electrocute Sehun’s side.

Sehun yelps in surprise. The padding of his costume absorbs some of the electricity, but the shock slows him down. Gritting his teeth, Sehun comes at his elusive nemesis once more. He isn’t losing to Chen this time.

Caught off guard by the determination powering Sehun's attacks, Chen doesn't dodge the blows as gracefully. The quick pace of the hand-to-hand battle doesn't leave a lot of room for him to use his lightning, at least not without missing his target in the process.

“Woah, you're _extra_ feisty today,” Chen tries to joke, but Sehun can detect a hint of nervousness behind that synthetic voice.

Narrowing his eyes, Sehun rushes at his opponent, swirling the air around him until his arms actually begin to ache. He swings down the heavy winds with a strong _woosh,_ which clearly catches Chen off-guard.

Chen stumbles backwards, for real this time. He falls down to the ground, but hastily rolls back to get up on his feet. If his heavier breaths and heaving chest is anything to go by, the displacement of wind around him is making it harder for him to catch his breath.

Sehun knows the extent of his powers. If he wanted to, he could manipulate the wind around him to choke his enemies, perhaps even force the air out of their lungs, but he doesn't do that. He doesn't believe in hurting his opponents like that— not even the worst supervillains deserved that pain.

He needs to end this fight now, lest someone ends up getting hurt. The quicker he sends Chen off to prison, the quicker he can go home and mull over his Jongdae problem.

“I'm not giving up just yet, Whirlwind,” Chen calls. He moves swiftly, making a powerful lunge towards Sehun.

Sehun rushes to defend himself. With adrenaline pumping in his veins, he extends his arms, gathering as much wind as he can before throwing it at the supervillain, who in his surprise, can't escape from the blow.

The power and intensity of the wind is enough to send Chen flying to the ground several feet away, further from where the crowd has gathered to spectate the fight. 

Sehun rushes after him, spotting Chen’s panting form in the middle of a pile of dust and rubble. He immediately lowers himself on the ground to keep Chen there, not intending to let the villain escape this time.

“W-Whirlwind…” Chen mutters, moving the hair that had fallen in front of his face.

Wait… his face?

It's only then Sehun realizes that Chen's mask has fallen to the ground. He's now looking at the man’s bare face.

Sehun stills. He recognizes those eyes, he knows that nose, he’s kissed those lips.

He can’t believe it. He has to blink to make sure his mind isn’t playing tricks on him because there's no way it can actually be—

“—Jongdae?” Sehun's voice breaks, feeling his knees tremble underneath him. No. This can’t be. This has to be some illusion. Maybe he’s under a spell, maybe he’s been hypnotised, maybe this is a simulation or a dream.

“Hey, Sehunnie,” the man says, and whatever doubts Sehun has are all thrown out the window.

“Jongdae?!?” Sehun’s voice sounds strained even to his own ears. “You— you’re Chen.”

Chen— rather _Jongdae_ , shakily sits up, one hand pressed to his side to support himself. “Last time I checked, yeah.”

Sehun's jaw drops, memories of the months living with Jongdae coming back to him. The way Jongdae would clean and bandage his wounds, the times he should have been more suspicious of Sehun, the way he would suddenly have money even after the bank he goes to has been robbed— it all lines up.

His fights with Chen start to make more sense too. Chen never shot to kill, Chen never attacked him hard enough for it to hurt, Chen always seemed so comfortable during their fights.

Chen is Jongdae. Jongdae is Chen.

Sehun's supervillain arch-nemesis is also his roommate.

It all makes sense but it shouldn't. 

Jongdae lets out a heavy sigh as Sehun gawks at him. “I can explain.”

“No— you're…” Sehun shakes his head, unable to even finish his sentence as he backs away from Jongdae. He can't do this. He can't be here right now.

And so he does something he’s never done in the middle of the battlefield before: he runs away.

💨

It doesn’t take long for Jongdae (or is it Chen now) to find him. Sehun doesn’t have a secret hideout where he can reflect and brood about his life, so he’s resigned himself to hiding out on the roof of their apartment building.

“I had a feeling I would find you here,” Jongdae says, leaning against the stack of wooden crates in the corner. Sehun barely spares him a glance before turning his gaze back to the city skyline. He doesn't utter a word to Jongdae.

Jongdae invites himself to sit beside Sehun, plopping down next to him and letting his feet dangle off the edge like everything is okay and fine and good and he isn't a friggin’ supervillain.

Sehun watches him with his peripheral vision, unsure if he can handle looking at Jongdae's face without feeling the urge to punch it.

He only then notices that Jongdae is dressed in his civilian clothes, clad in an oversized hoodie that most definitely belongs to Sehun, some loose pants, and a pair of sneakers Sehun had always wondered how he was able to afford.

Pfttt. At least he knows the answer now. All those times Jongdae treated him to lunch and dinner, all the times he could magically come up with money to pay for rent after saying that he was broke— he had used the money he had stolen from the banks to pay for those. 

Sehun clenches his jaw. It’s a miracle he hasn’t yelled at Jongdae by now. But then again, what can he even say to the guy who had actually been lying to _him_ about being a _supervillain_ for so long? That’s way worse than secretly being a superhero.

“What do you want?” Sehun questions sharply, feeling irritation boil in his chest again. Jongdae sure had some balls to face Sehun after what he just did.

Jongdae doesn’t dare move any closer to Sehun, making the wise decision to stay away from the wind-wielder who looks more than ready to throw him off the building. “I need to talk to you.”

“You’re already talking, aren’t you?” Sehun snipes, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Jongdae winces. “Don’t be like that,” he says. “I can explain.”

“Explain what?” Sehun finally turns to look at him properly, his eyes burning with a fiery anger that could put Pyro to shame. “Explain how you steal from innocent people and put their lives in danger? Explain why you’ve caused so much destruction and ruined so many lives? How can you explain that, Jongdae?!?”

“I’ve never done anything bad to people who don’t deserve it,” Jongdae defends. “The corporations and people I rob and destroy— they’re all corrupt. They had what was coming to them.”

“You still shouldn’t have done that!” Sehun nearly screams, uncaring of whoever might hear them. “You don’t get to decide who deserves what.”

“And who does?” Jongdae questions. “The police? The people in court? You know that they’re corrupt— they’re even bigger criminals than I am.”

“That doesn't excuse anything you did, Jongdae!” Sehun protests. “You– you're a criminal! You steal from people, you hurt them to get what you want.”

“Not everything I do is for myself, Sehun. You know that,” Jongdae replies, his eyebrows knitting together on his forehead. “I know I've done bad things, but I'm not evil.”

Sehun’s face hardens. He can’t believe Jongdae is still trying to justify his actions. “I am not having this conversation with you right now. You can't expect to constantly break the law and get away with it. Why the hell would you even do that anyway? How selfish and stupid can you be, you are so—”

“—All the money I steal I donate to the orphanages and shelters,” Jongdae cuts in before Sehun can say anything else. “I'm only trying to help the people who can't help themselves.”

“There are other ways to do that,” Sehun counters, folding his arms over his chest. “You could have used your powers for good, Jongdae. You could've been a hero instead.”

“No offense, Sehunnie, but you heroes only do what the police are too lazy to do,” Jongdae says. “You guys only save the people that are in immediate danger, but what about the people living in the slums? The orphans? The homeless people? They need help too and no one is giving them any.”

“You didn’t have to be a supervillain to help them,” Sehun argues.

“What else am I supposed to do, Sehun?” Jongdae questions. “I told you I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, didn't I?”

Sehun doesn't say anything in reply, he only narrows his eyes at him. The tension between them is so thick, not even a chainsaw could cut through it.

Jongdae sighs, rubbing his face with his palm tiredly. “Look, I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you that I was Chen, but you didn't tell me you were Whirlwind either.”

“That's different, and you know it,” Sehun disputes. “I didn't tell you I was Whirlwind because I was afraid that it would put you in danger. You know the messed up things that happen to people who are close to superheroes… I didn't want that to happen to you.”

“I didn't want anything to happen to you either, Sehunnie.”

“You _lied_ to me, Jongdae. That's the problem.”

“I'm a criminal, Sehunnie, it's what I do.”

Sehun sends him a withering look. “How long?"

“Huh?”

“How long have you known I was Whirlwind?”

“Ah. That,” Jongdae says. “I’ve known for months. I saw you sneaking into your room in the Whirlwind costume one time and I just connected the dots.”

“And you didn’t say anything?!?”

“We were already close when that happened,” Jongdae replies. “I thought you would tell me eventually.”

“Not even my parents know I'm Whirlwind,” Sehun points out. “Why would I tell you?”

Jongdae's expression twists into something unreadable. “I don't know, because we’re friends? Because I'm pretty sure you like me more than a friend, and you know I feel the same way?”

Is Jongdae really bringing that up right now? Sehun doesn't think he can handle more emotional distress. “That has nothing to do with this.”

“I think it does,” Jongdae says. “We know about each other's secret identities and we still like each other— that counts for something, doesn't it?”

Sehun snorts in disbelief. He can't believe what he's hearing. “You're crazy if you think I still like you after finding out about who you are.” Jongdae might not be completely evil, but he definitely has a few screws loose.

“I'm still the same person, Sehunnie.”

Sehun snorts in disbelief. “You need to stop,” he spits. “I can’t believe I ever trusted you.”

“Sehun, it's not—”

“—Stop. I don't need your explanations,” Sehun spits. “We're done. You can find yourself another roommate.”

Jongdae stares at him, his mouth hanging open in shock. “You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do,” Sehun says through gritted teeth, angrily stomping past the other man. “I'm leaving. Don't follow me.”

“Wait, Sehunnie—” and that does it for Sehun. Without thinking, he swoops his arm in Jongdae’s direction, sending a gust of wind that sends the man flying backwards until his back hits the wall.

Sehun barely sends Jongdae another glance as he exits through the rooftop door. 

Jongdae doesn’t follow him out.

💨

It’s only when Sehun is packing his things does he realize that a lot of his things are in Jongdae's room.

They had gotten so comfortable as roommates that Sehun didn't mind his belongings ending up in Jongdae's room. And he certainly didn't mind Jongdae's habit of stealing his clothes and wearing them, for he too liked wearing Jongdae's clothes— even if they were a bit too small on him.

As a result, a lot of Sehun's hoodies and sweaters have taken permanent residence in Jongdae's closet.

Well, at least until now.

Sehun has to sift through Jongdae's wardrobe to retrieve the last of his clothes, heart prickling every time he pulls one off of a hanger. He has to remind himself that he has to do this. He can't be Whirlwind and be all buddy-buddy with a supervillain.

He shoves the clothes into his duffel bag with a sigh. He idly wonders where his roommate keeps his Chen costume. Does he hide it in a bag in his closet too? Or does he have a secret underground lair where he plans all his criminal activities? How did he manage to hide his secret from Sehun for so long?

“Oh,” a voice says from behind Sehun, pulling him out of his thoughts. “You're here.”

Sehun turns around to see Jongdae leaning against the doorframe. He's still dressed in Sehun's hoodie, so Sehun supposes he isn't getting that back. “Yeah.”

“Are you actually leaving?”

“No, I’m just going to stay in the same apartment as my supervillain arch-nemesis and pretend like everything is okay.”

Jongdae sighs heavily. It seems like he's aged ten years in a span of two days. “Sehunnie, I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, Jongdae— if that even is your real name.” Sehun eyes him suspiciously, surveying the other man from head to toe.

“Oh my god yes, Jongdae is my real name,” Jongdae grumbles. “I may have lied about the Chen thing, but everything else I've told you before is 100% real. I am who I say I am, Sehunnie.”

“Would you stop calling me that?” Sehun’s jaw tightens. “And I don't care anymore. You can lie to whoever you want.”

Jongdae frowns. “I'm not a liar, Sehun.”

“Yeah, tell that to the judge in court,” Sehun says, shoving a wool sweater into his bag and zipping it up with a lot more force than necessary.

“Woah, are you actually turning me in?” Jongdae questions, aghast.

Sehun fixes him with a cold look. “The next time I see you, I’m taking you to jail.”

“What? Sehun, we can talk about this. What do you want me to do?” Jongdae looks worried. “Do you want me to stop stealing? Do you want me to stop being Chen?”

Sehun rolls his eyes. He slings his bag over his shoulder and walks out of the room.

Jongdae calls out for his name, but Sehun doesn’t turn back, not even as he gathers the rest of his things and leaves the place he used to call his home.

💨

Turns out, looking for a new place to live in Seoul on short notice is incredibly difficult.

In the three weeks since Sehun has left the apartment, he has resigned himself to staying at shabby motels and inns, hoping and praying that there weren’t too many cockroaches in his bed.

Additionally, being farther from the heart of the city makes it harder to stop supervillains and major crimes as they're taking place. Sehun doesn't know if it's a good thing that Chen— or should he say Jongdae— hasn't been spotted since their last fight.

The food options aren’t much better either. Sehun can only eat so much convenience store junk food before he starts yearning for something homemade. He’s never missed Jongdae’s cooking so much until now.

Staying in motels makes it even harder to sneak out unnoticed. Sehun has to be extra careful in making sure no one is nearby before he leaves for patrol via the fire escape, and even then, he feels as if someone is watching him, following him as he slots through stores and alleyways.

It could just be his paranoia, but Sehun's instincts are never wrong when it comes to things like these.

And right they are, because the footsteps that have been following him for ten minutes don't sound like they're about to stop anytime soon.

Sehun turns around, getting into a fighting stance and balling his hands into fists— he might not be in costume right now, but he can still fend off a petty thief in the dark.

“Woah, I'm not here for a fight,” a familiar voice says, and Sehun stops in his tracks.

It’s Jongdae, because of course it is.

No wonder it felt like someone had been watching him since he had moved out. Jongdae was keeping tabs on him.

Jongdae emerges from the darkness, clad in a dark hoodie and some jeans, looking more like a university student than the most notorious supervillain in Seoul. “Can we talk? Please?”

“Didn’t I say I would bring you to the police the next time we see each other?”

“Technically those were _Chen’s_ crimes, not Kim Jongdae’s.”

Sehun shoves his hands into his pockets. He should have known Jongdae would do something like this. “Go away, Jongdae.”

“Would you please talk to me instead of walking away?” Jongdae sounds exasperated, his eyebrows knitting together in frustration.

“There's nothing for us to talk about,” Sehun says tightly. God forbid he and Jongdae get into a fight in an alleyway, in their civilian clothes much less.

“I would beg to differ,” Jongdae retorts, running up to Sehun and stopping in front of him so they're looking at each other face to face. “I know I fucked up, Sehunnie, and I'm sorry about everything, but please don't stay mad at me.”

Sehun glares at him. “How can I not be mad at you? You're a criminal and a liar.”

Jongdae sighs. “I was gonna tell you, Sehun, I swear. I wasn't planning on keeping it a secret.”

“It should’ve never been a secret in the first place!” Sehun's voice cracks. “What, were you never going to tell me because you wanted to spy on me? Find out my weaknesses?”

“What?!? No, of course not,” Jongdae sounds perplexed. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to ruin what we had. I didn't want you to look at me differently or think that I was just pretending to be your friend. I never wanted to hurt you. You know that.”

But Sehun _is_ hurt, way more than Jongdae knows. 

“I deserved to know,” Sehun says, even though he knows how big of a hypocrite he’s being right now. “Why didn't you just get rid of me while you could?” he asks. “You could've gotten me out of the way and made things easier for yourself.”

“Is that really what you think of me?” Jongdae asks in disbelief. “Do you think I was just pretending your friend so I could get close to you and find your weaknesses? Do you really think I would do something so low?”

“N-no,” Sehun murmurs, because the Jongdae he knows would never do something like that.

Jongdae steps closer to him. Sehun doesn’t back away. “I hope you know that everything I did… it wasn't just for me.”

“But why didn't you tell me the truth?” It's the question Sehun always comes back to. “You should’ve told me.”

“What would you have done if I did?” Jongdae interrogates. “Would you have turned me in to the police? Would you still have moved out? What would have changed if I told you?”

“I don’t know!” Sehun admits, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “But… I thought we were friends, Jongdae.” He thought that they could be more than that.

“We _are_ friends, Sehunnie,” Jongdae says. “That doesn't have to change.”

“We can't go back to the way we were before, Jongdae.” It pains Sehun to say it but he knows it's the truth. “I can't be friends with a criminal.”

“Sehun—”

Sehun shakes his head, ready to walk away again. “We're done.”

“Please I—”

“Please don't look for me again.”

“I'll change!” Jongdae nearly shouts, his voice reverberating against the brick walls. “I'll stop!”

Sehun stops in his tracks. “What?”

“I'll stop being Chen,” Jongdae says, his eyes burning into Sehun's own. “If it means that much to you, I'll stop. I'll stop stealing, I'll stop using my powers, I'll stop everything.”

“Don't… don't say things you don't mean,” Sehun mutters. “Don't give me hope.”

“But I mean it,” Jongdae says. He raises his hands to cup Sehun's face. Sehun lets him. “If it means I get to be with you again, I'll do it.”

“Y-You can't change your mind just like that, Jongdae,” Sehun returns. “You told me yourself: this is how you want things to go— you want to be part of something bigger than yourself. You have a plan.”

“You're part of that plan too, Sehunnie,” Jongdae says, tiptoeing so that he can press his forehead against Sehun's. “I always imagined us doing great things together.”

Sehun's heart feels tight in his chest. This isn't how this was supposed to go. “We can't.”

“Why not?” Jongdae asks. “I'll change. I'll do better. I'll do whatever it takes… just don't leave.”

“You've done so many bad things, Jongdae,” Sehun mutters. “I can’t just forget about that.”

“I'll make up for it,” Jongdae says determinedly. “I'll make it up to you and everyone I've hurt. I'll make back the money I stole and give it all back.”

It all sounds so simple. Sehun knows it isn't, but he lets himself pretend it is anyway. Maybe there still is a chance, maybe he and Jongdae can make things right between them.

He lets his eyes flicker to the other man. He looks beautiful, his dark hair framing his face perfectly and his eyes shining underneath the moonlight. He's a work of art— Sehun can stare at him all day long.

“Jongdae?” Sehun whispers, right before Jongdae leans forward to press his lips against Sehun's.

Jongdae is kissing him.

The kiss is a lot different from the one before. This one is softer, but there’s more weight and passion behind it, as if it's the last one they'll ever share.

Sehun hopes that isn't the case, because Jongdae is a fantastic kisser. Their mouths move together in synchronization, licking and nipping at wherever they can, letting themselves enjoy the taste of each other's mouths. Jongdae places his hands on Sehun's waist, pulling their bodies flush against each other. Sehun’s arms come up around Jongdae’s neck, refusing to allow any space between them as they make out.

Kissing in a dark and dirty alleyway shouldn't be romantic, nor should it be enticing, but Sehun loves it all the same. It’s Jongdae he's kissing and Jongdae’s hands are moving from his waist to his hips to his butt, and Sehun can't help but moan into the kiss.

He nearly whines when Jongdae pulls away, a string of saliva connecting their lips as he does so. “As much as I enjoyed that, I think it would be better if we took this somewhere else.”

Sehun nods, watching the movement of Jongdae's reddened lips as he speaks. He needs to get something off his chest first. “Jongdae?” he says in a raspy voice.

“Yeah, Sehunnie?”

“I don’t hate you,” Sehun mutters. He’s still in shock, and both his heart and his mind are racing, but he doesn’t hate Jongdae. He doesn’t think he ever will. “I’m sorry.”

Jongdae looks confused. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“Lying to you too,” Sehun says, looking at Jongdae with glassy eyes. Wow, he misses him a lot.

“It's okay.” Jongdae reaches up to wipe his eyes with the pads of his thumbs. “Let's go home.”

💨

The apartment hasn't changed since Sehun left. 

Everything is still in place: the stack of books the two of them never bothered to read, the dead potted plant in the corner, and even the furry rug they got from the thrift store in an attempt to make their apartment prettier— nothing has changed. It's like Sehun never left at all.

Jongdae's room is still the same, small and messy but oh so familiar. Sehun inhales, taking in the familiar scent that could only be _Jongdae._

“Reminiscing?” Jongdae asks, shrugging out of his hoodie and revealing the flat planes of his stomach. 

Sehun takes his time in eyeing his body, everything from the sharp lines of his pelvis to fading scars and bruises Jongdae has never shown him before.

“I miss this place,” Sehun says. “You didn't redecorate while I was gone?”

“I knew you'd be mad at me if I did,” Jongdae responds, stepping out of his jeans until he's clad in just his underwear. 

Sehun takes that as a sign to take off his own clothes too, pulling off his jacket and taking off his shirt before taking a seat on Jongdae's bed. It's still as bouncy as he remembers. “You're right about that.”

Jongdae chuckles as he makes his way to the bed. When he gets there, he crawls over to Sehun, placing a hand on the front of Sehun's jeans. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Please,” Sehun replies, reaching up to wrap his arms around Jongdae’s neck again. Jongdae leans in to kiss him as he tentatively pulls the zipper down a little. Sehun moves with him as he helps pull it off and tosses it to the floor, leaving him in just his briefs.

Sehun flushes as Jongdae takes in the sight. He knows he's big, but Jongdae's eyes on him makes him feel shy. 

“You're gorgeous, Sehunnie,” Jongdae says, letting his hands travel all over Sehun's torso. His touch is tender, gentle even, as he caresses Sehun's skin, careful not to press too hard on the scars, burns, and bruises from Sehun's nightly activities as Whirlwind. “So pretty.”

Jongdae cups his face in one hand to resume their kiss while Sehun grabs the front of Jongdae's boxers with both hands. He doesn't hesitate to slip his hand inside, palming Jongdae’s hard and heavy length.

“You— you’re kind of big,” Sehun mutters, gazing down as he strokes Jongdae’s swelling cock. The other man isn't as big nor as him, but it's still a sight to behold.

Jongdae brushes Sehun’s hair back to kiss his temple and groans against him. “I'll take care of you,” he promises, humming in content when Sehun pulls his cock from his boxers.

There is intrigue in Sehun's eyes as he strokes Jongdae’s dick with both hands, watching as pre-cum leaks from the tip. In the period of time they've been roommates, it's honestly kind of a shock that this is the first time he's seen Jongdae's cock.

“Do you like it that much?” Jongdae asks. Sehun looks up at him for a moment before looking back down to his dripping cock. “Do you want to top?”

Sehun shakes his head. “I… I want you inside me,” he says, unable to help the red that comes to his cheeks as he says it. "That's okay with you, right?”

"That's more than okay with me," Jongdae replies, shifting his position and making his cock bob against his belly.

Sehun grins rubbing Jongdae's cock against his stomach. Jongdae kisses him on the lips as he moves Sehun back towards his bed and pulls a few pillows into place to let him rest his back against. Sehun makes himself comfortable before pushing underwear down to his thighs. He lets out a soft moan as he places a hand over himself, relieved to get at least some pressure off of him.

“Wow, Sehunnie,” Jongdae groans, leaning over Sehun to open the bedside table. He fumbles his hand around until he eventually finds a bottle of lube.

"You seriously keep lube in there?" Sehun asks curiously. “Do you bring people over when I'm not around?”

“I mostly use it on myself,” Jongdae remarks, returning to the edge of the bed and coasting a hand up the inside of Sehun's leg, making him shiver hotly. “When I'm thinking about you.”

Sehun blinks at that. "You think about me?”

“All the time, Sehunnie,” Jongdae says, leaning down to place a kiss on Sehun's neck. Sehun tilts his head out of the way to give Jongdae more access to his skin. “I think about kissing you, and then marking you up, and then fucking you.”

Sehun gasps in surprise when Jongdae sucks a marks onto his neck. “J-Jongdae!” he stutters out.

“Do you like that? Do you want my dick inside you?” Jongdae asks against his skin. Sehun bites down on his bottom lip as Jongdae slides his hand over to squeeze his hardening cock.

"Mhmmmmm… J-Jongdae,” Sehun moans while Jongdae mouths further down his neck and into his collarbone, taking his time to leave little bruises all over. No doubt his neck would be covered in hickeys come tomorrow morning.

"Is that a yes?” Jongdae inquires with a little chuckle. God, Sehun misses hearing him laugh. “Do you want me to fuck you, Sehunnie?”

"Y-yes," Sehun rasps breathily, arching his hips into Jongdae's hand as he strokes him slowly and teasingly. “F-Fuck.”

"That's what we’re about to do." Jongdae says, reaching out to caress Sehun's thigh before sliding down to stroke Sehun's leg, long and slender but still defined with muscle.

Sehun likes the sound of that. He spreads his legs, as far and wide as he can as Jongdae moves closer. The older man pulls Sehun's legs over his thighs, reconnecting their lips in a kiss as he pops the bottle of lube open.

Sehun can barely stop himself from groaning into Jongdae's mouth when Jongdae pours some lube onto his twitching cock and strokes it in before adding more to his own fingers. He grazes over Sehun's rim, circling it a few times to make sure he's good and slick before gently pressing a finger inside. Sehun gasps at the sensation, but he relaxes as Jongdae sinks the entire thing in, his walls closing in on Jongdae's finger and encasing it with slick warmth.

"You okay?" Jongdae asks.

With his breathing hot and heavy, Sehun sets his hands on Jongdae's shoulders to steady himself. He whines as Jongdae fingers steadily him with one hand and strokes his cock with the other.

“Y-Yeah,” Sehun answers, letting out a sharp gasp when he feels Jongdae lightly graze over his prostate. Jongdae is very good at this. He must have done this a lot, possibly even with other criminals. The thought makes Sehun’s stomach turn. “You're s-so good.”

"Thanks," Jongdae says, inserting a second finger inside Sehun, who eagerly moves his hips against his hand.

“D-Don’t tease,” Sehun mutters in a small voice, his eyes fluttering shut as Jongdae works his fingers in and out of him.

“I'm not. I just want you to feel good,” Jongdae assures, twisting his fingers inside Sehun to make sure he's properly stretched and prepped.

“But I want you now,” Sehun says needily. He doesn't know what has come over him and made him this desperate, but he doesn't care. All he can focus on is Jongdae inserting a third finger into him— it still doesn't feel enough but he'll take whatever he can get, grinding against Jongdae's fingers like a cat in heat. 

“Patience, Sehunnie,” Jongdae placates, pecking a tiny kiss onto Sehun's sweaty forehead. “I don't want to hurt you.”

“Please?” Sehun whines with growing impatience. “Please fuck me— I w-want you.”

"Do you want me to get a condom?” Jongdae asks, already leaning over to look for one in the bedside table, but Sehun shakes his head in refusal. “Are you sure?”

"Yeah," Sehun breathes out, arching his hips even more. "I want to feel you when you cum in me." After being apart from Jongdae for so long, both physically and emotionally, he needs to feel him deep inside him.

"Fuck, okay," Jongdae rasps, moving back closer to Sehun. “Let me know if it hurts, okay?”

Sehun nods, rolling his hips to prompt Jongdae into hurrying up. He doesn't think he can last for much longer like this.

Jongdae slicks himself with a generous amount of lube before sliding his hands along the inside of Sehun's quivering thighs. Sehun spreads his thighs apart, more than eager to get Jongdae inside him.

Sehun moans when he feels the head of Jongdae's cock running against his hole. He shivers at the contact, looking up at the other man with hazy eyes.

Jongdae pushes in and Sehun lets out a loud moan, arching against the mattress and digging his blunt nails into Jongdae's back. “You're so tight, Sehunnie,” Jongdae groans.

Slowly, Jongdae sinks in a few inches and waits for Sehun to adjust to it before going further.

Sehun flutters his eyes close, twisting and squirming in pleasure as Jongdae mouths at his neck, thrusting into Sehun’s tight heat. “Jongdae, I'm— it f-feels so good.”

“Shit, Sehunnie. You're so pretty,” Jongdae says, rutting deeper into Sehun, the tip of his cock pounding into Sehun's prostate.

"Good," Sehun whimpers. "Feels good, Jongdae. Fuck me harder.” Jongdae bottoms out and Sehun claws red marks into his back.

"You okay?" Jongdae asks.

"Great," Sehun replies breathily. He smiles and Jongdae smiles back.

"God, you're perfect," Jongdae murmurs, moving his hands to rest on Sehun's slender waist. His touch is electrifying, no pun intended, and Sehun wants more of it. If he didn't know better, he would think that Jongdae has hypnotism powers too— everything about him is intoxicating.

Sehun whines when Jongdae grinds into him, steadily building a rhythm until he's rutting into Sehun until he's seeing stars.

After all the preparation, it doesn't take much to make Sehun come. He buries his face in Jongdae's shoulder and shivers in his hold as his orgasm washes over him, cumming with his cock untouched. Cum is splattered all over his stomach and Jongdae slows down his thrusts to really let him enjoy it. He's nearly out of breath when he raises his hands to tangle them in Jongdae's hair.

"Inside," Sehun urges. "Cum inside me." And just like that, Jongdae fucks into him deep and quick. His grip on Sehun's hips tightens when he cums, making Sehun wince but moan as he's stuffed with Jongdae’s hot, thick cum. Jongdae holds his chin in his hand to kiss him, slowly and passionately, making Sehun melt at the attention.

After giving them both some time to come down from their highs, Jongdae carefully pulls out. Sehun groans at the loss of contact, his hole fluttering around the air where Jongdae's cock just was. His hips hurt a little and his lower half is messy with lube and cum, but he's happy. This is the happiest he's been in a long time.

Both he and Jongdae collapse back onto Jongdae's pillows. Their bodies are slick with sweat and the room reeks of sex but neither of them care, not when Jongdae drapes an arm over Sehun's waist and pulls him close enough to spoon him.

"That was really good," Sehun mumbles, nuzzling Jongdae's neck and taking in his scent once more. He smells like cinnamon and citrus, but most of all, he smells like home.

“I'm glad you liked it,” Jongdae says, running his hands through Sehun's hair. “Do you feel okay?"

“I'll probably feel sore for a few days.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Probably ask you to put ointment down there for me.” Because Sehun definitely isn't going to bend over in front of a mirror to inspect his own asshole.

Jongdae chuckles. “I mean yeah, I'd love to, but I meant in general,” he says. “Are you moving back here?”

“Anything is better than staying at those crappy motels,” Sehun replies. “You'll have to help me get the rest of my things.”

“Of course,” Jongdae says. “And what about Whirlwind?”

“It’ll be business as usual. I'm still going to be Whirlwind,” Sehun answers, because he knows that much. Regardless of what happens between him and Jongdae, he’ll always be there to protect the city.

Jongdae hums in response.

“What about you?” Sehun asks, tracing invisible patterns onto Jongdae’s chest with the tip of his finger.

“I’ll figure things out,” Jongdae says, his voice warm and comforting in Sehun’s ear.

Sehun is not sure what tomorrow will bring, he doesn’t know whether things will be okay for the two of them. But he’s certain about one thing: right here and now, he's safe in Jongdae’s arms.

  
  
  
  
  


⚡️

  
  
  
  
  


The night is dark and stormy by the time Sehun falls asleep, slumbering heavily on Jongdae’s chest as Jongdae cards his hands through his hair.

Thunder and lightning crackles outside the windows, but Sehun doesn't stir one bit. He had always been a heavy sleeper.

Jongdae takes a moment to admire Sehun's sleeping face— his long eyelashes resting against his cheeks and his pink lips parted as small breaths escape his mouth. He looks pretty, so cute and so innocent.

Maybe _too_ innocent for his own good.

“You always trust people too easily, Sehunnie,” Jongdae tsks, petting the top of Sehun's head. “You should've never come back here.”

He didn’t expect his plan to work. He knows how kind and trusting Sehun is, but he hadn't expected him to forgive him _that_ quickly. Maybe he really does love Jongdae that much. Jongdae makes a mental note to take advantage of that in the future.

In any case, Jongdae is glad he's back. Sure, he'll have to adjust his methods a bit, but it'll be worth it in the long run. The important thing is that Sehun is here with him right now.

It's only a matter of time before Chen’s actual plans become a reality. Having Whirlwind fighting on _his_ side in the end will only make his victory much sweeter.

He can't wait.

**Author's Note:**

> [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/kittenshixun)
> 
> Kudos and comments are much appreciated!


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